On My Mind

India, they say, is the mystical land of the east. The spiritual aura, ancient texts, and architecture from the past just add to the entire mysticism surrounding it. Apart from the overt spiritualism, traveling through the pages of history, the country has acquired many other traits which now qualify as "Indianness". Having lived my entire life in the Indian India, I was hesitant to visit the utopian ideal we would have had otherwise. My reservations notwithstanding, I ended up visiting this land called Unindia - the much talked about utopian ideal. My experience was disturbing, to put it mildly. One needs to take a good look at Unindia to understand and appreciate the nation we have built. ---------------------------- The train had almost reached Unindia. The window was open. I was staring outside and it took me a good 10 minutes to realize I hadn't seen a single soul defecating in the open. It made me slightly nauseous. I knew I had to prepare myself for more o...

Sair-e-Gulfaroshan This is one of the most iconic symbol of  communal harmony  in India but unfortunately, not many people know about it. The festival is also known as “Phoolwalo ki sair” (English: Procession of those carrying flowers). It is the annual festival of flowers conducted in Old Delhi.  The event involves a procession led by  shehnai  players bearing floral  pankhas, chadars and chhatras.  These are offered at the ancient  Devi Yogmaya Temple  and the  Dargah of Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaaki  in Mehrauli. The festival owes its origin to Queen Mumtaz Mahal who was the wife of Mughal Emperor Akbarshah II.  It was stopped by the British but was reinstated in 1962 and has been celebrated ever since then with celebrations getting pompous each year. "Out  of clutter, find simplicity." - Albert Einstein

Much has been discussed and debated recently about Uniform Civil Code with Central Government being asked by the apex court of its response on Shayara Bano's petition. Petitioner Bano challenged the constitutionality of Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, in so far as it seeks to recognise and validate polygamy, triple talaq and 'nikah halala'. The Union government told the Supreme Court that 'triple talaq', 'nikaah halaal' and polygamy, as practised by the Muslims in India, were not "integral to the practices of Islam or essential religious practices". This has brought the topic of Uniform Civil Code into foreground again. While a large majority approves of UCC, the critics of UCC come mainly from Islamist groups who claim this would be a violation of their Right to practice their religion. Interestingly, apart from the aforementioned fundamental right, Constitution also says that "The State shall endeav...